ALBAWABA - Britain's King Charles III is preparing for his May 6 coronation in a different style: Highlighting the presence of U.K.'s minorities for the first time ever.
Charles, 74, succeeded his mother, the widely revered Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96. She ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years and 214 days, making her reign the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female head of state in history.
The king will be crowned in a ceremony that will include the active participation of representatives from faiths other than from the Church of England, such as Islam, Judaism and Hindus.
Charles will pray aloud at Coronation & pledge to serve all faiths
Mentions CoE, Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahai and Zoroastrian communities.
NO mention of the Catholic Church
Anti-Catholic prejudice continueshttps://t.co/JhlZIAANie— Nick Donnelly (@ProtecttheFaith) April 30, 2023
The Archbishop of Canterbury's office said Saturday that Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Seikh leaders will undertake main parts in the coronation.
Members of the House of Lords from the minority faiths will also give non-Christian regalia to the king, such as gold bracelets as well as the royal robe.
The U.K.'s first Hindu Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will give a reading from the Bible at the ceremony, which will be attended by Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim to lead the Scottish Cabinet and a Western European government.
King Charles' coronation also will include female bishops for the first time, hymns and prayers sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, as well as English.
